By morning, a sharp pain twisted in my stomach, dragging me from unconsciousness.
I gasped, my breath shaky, my body drenched in sweat. My lower abdomen throbbed. I tried to move, but something felt wrong…wet, sticky.
Then I saw it.
Blood.
Everywhere.
On my clothes. The floor. My hands.
A choked sob escaped my lips. Not again.
I pressed a trembling hand to my stomach, my body curling in on itself. I knew what had happened.
Another baby. Gone.
Tears blurred my vision as I heard footsteps. The door creaked open, and Vijay stood there.
He stared at the blood for a moment. His expression was blank.
Then he grabbed his bag and walked out. Not a word.
His mother appeared next, her face twisting in disgust.
"Clean it up," she said flatly.
I could barely breathe. My baby was gone. I had lost another child, and all she cared about was the mess?
When I didn't move, she stepped closer. "Did you hear me?"
Vijay's sister leaned against the doorway, arms crossed. "You should be grateful," she sneered. "What were you going to do with a child anyway?"
My whole body trembled. I wanted to scream. Cry. Break something.
But I did none of that.
Because I knew they wouldn't care.
So I pushed myself up, my limbs weak, my vision swaying. The pain was unbearable, but I forced myself to move.
With slow, shaky steps, I went to get a mop and bucket. And I cleaned.
The sun was already up when I stepped outside to empty the bucket. My hands were sore, my legs barely holding me up.
That was when I saw him.
Raymond.
He was in his yard, watering his plants, but his head snapped up the moment he saw me.
His eyes fell to the bucket in my hands, then to my clothes, stained with blood even though I had tried to wash them.
His jaw clenched.
I turned away quickly, not wanting him to see more.
But I was too slow.
"Wait," he said, voice low but firm.
I froze.
I heard his footsteps come closer. Then, out of the corner of my eye, I saw something, a small bottle.
"Take this," he murmured. "For the pain."
I hesitated.
Vijay's 's mother could be watching. His sister could be spying.
But the pain in my stomach was unbearable.
So I took the bottle. For the first time in forever, someone had shown me kindness.
***
The morning sun burned into my skin as I bent over the large basin, scrubbing David's shirts. My arms ached, my back hurt and every movement sent a dull pain through my stomach. I lost another baby. And nobody cares.
Vijay's mother sat nearby, watching me like a hawk. "Faster," she snapped. "You think you're a queen?"
I swallowed hard and kept scrubbing. The scent of detergent stung my nose. The cold water numbed my fingers.
A drop of sweat slid down my face, and suddenly, I was somewhere else.
I was standing in front of my massive walk-in closet back home. Rows of silk blouses, designer dresses, heels arranged in perfect order. I used to sigh, trying to pick the perfect outfit for the day. Should I wear the blue Chanel suit for the board meeting? My personal assistant would be waiting with my coffee. The driver would be warming the car.
Now? I had nothing.
The memory shifted. My office. The massive glass windows overlooking Lagos. Employees knocked before entering, speaking with respect. Good morning, Ma. Here's the financial report, Ma.
Kene, my younger brother 's voice echoed in my head. "Are you sure about this, Ivy? You're giving up everything."
I had laughed back then. "I want something real, Kene. Not board meetings, not business deals. Love."
A sharp voice yanked me back.
"Are you deaf?" Vijay's mother barked. "Look at this stain! Are you too lazy to scrub properly?"
I flinched and dipped the shirt back into the water, scrubbing harder.
The soap slipped from my hands and landed in the dirt. I reached for it, but my vision blurred. The pain in my stomach tightened. The miscarriage, the bleeding, the fever -my body was giving up.
I looked up. Across the yard, Raymond was watching. His face was blank. His hands clenched into fists.
I quickly looked down and picked up the soap. I couldn't afford to be seen as weak.
Not yet.
But something inside me whispered; this isn't living.
I moved to hang the clothes. But my body wasn't listening.
The pain in my stomach sharpened, my legs wobbled, and before I could steady myself, everything spun.
I barely registered the bucket slipping from my hands. The world faded. The sky changed. Then darkness.
***
When I opened my eyes, I wasn't outside anymore. I lay on a comfortable bed. Bright lights shone above me. My body felt cold, my arms weak.
A hospital?
I blinked. My throat was dry.
Then I saw him.
Raymond.
He stood by the bed, arms crossed, worry deep in his eyes.
"You lost a lot of blood," he said, voice calm but firm.
I tried to sit up, but my whole body protested. I was too weak.
"You need rest," he continued. "You're severely dehydrated, and your blood pressure is low."
I swallowed hard. How did I get here?
"I saw you collapse," he answered my unspoken question. "I didn't have time to ask for permission. I brought you here myself."
I stared at him. No one had ever rushed me to the hospital before, not Vijay, not his family.
Only a stranger.
A soft knock on the door made him turn. A nurse stepped in, handing him a file.
That's when I noticed his ID badge clipped to his coat. Raymond Owen, Pharmacist.
I exhaled shakily, looking away.
How did I get here?
How did I go from being Ivy Peters, a woman with power, wealth, and freedom to this?
A woman whose husband didn't care if she lived or died.
I closed my eyes. Memories flooded in.
Before Vijay I had a business. I had a life. I had dreams.
After Vijay: All I had was pain and silent torture. I had nothing.
Tears burned my eyes, but I refused to cry.
I wasn't sure how much time had passed when Raymond spoke again.
"You should stay here for a while," he said softly. "At least until you're strong enough to go home."
Home.
The word made my stomach twist. Because I had no home. Only a cage.
***
The door swung open.
vijay walked in.
His face was blank, but his eyes…they were sharp, calculating.
I felt my body tense, my fingers curling around the hospital bedsheet. He shouldn't be here.
Raymond straightened beside me, his expression unreadable.
Vijay's gaze flashed to him first, to the doctor and then to me. His lips curved into something that was supposed to be a smile, but I knew better.
"Doctor," he said smoothly. "How's my wife?"
The doctor glanced at me, then back at him. He hesitated for a second before sighing.
"Mr. vijay, your wife's condition is serious."
Vijay's expression didn't change.
The doctor continued. "She's severely anemic due to excessive blood loss. This is not her first miscarriage, is it?"
My heart stopped.
Raymond stiffened.
Vijay's fingers twitched at his side.
The doctor cleared his throat. "And we also found someth
ing else."
A heavy silence filled the room.
Vijay's eyes darkened. "What do you mean, something else?"
The doctor exhaled and looked directly at me. "Ivy, your test results show that you…"
Blackout.